Seat lock-out assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle including a seat lock-out assembly which discourages the unauthorized use of a seat on the vehicle. The vehicle includes a chassis and at least one seat having a body support fixed relative to the chassis. The seat includes a body support. The seat lock-out assembly has first and second ends fixed to the chassis, and extends over the body support to discourage unauthorized use of the seat. In one embodiment, the seat lock-out assembly includes an elongated member and a shield fixed to the elongated member. The elongated member has a first end and a second end which are fixable relative to the seat. The shield is fixed to the elongated member between the first and seconds ends, wherein when the first and second ends are fixed relative to the seat, the shield is disposed over the body support to discourage use of the seat.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a lock-out assemblies, and moreparticularly to seat lock-out assemblies which discourage the use of aseat by an unauthorized user.

[0004] Vehicles are often provided for particular uses by the vehicleowner. The vehicle owner collects a fee for such use, and anunauthorized use results in a loss of the fee. For example, golf cartsare rented to golfers for use on a golf course. The fee charged for useof the golf cart can depend upon the number of golfers using the cart.Often the cart is provided with two seats. If an individual golfer rentsthe cart, and does not disclose that two golfers will be using the cart,the owner loses the additional fee for the additional golfer.

[0005] Prior art locks for use on a vehicle are directed at preventingthe theft of the vehicle, and do not prevent the unauthorized use ofindividual vehicle seats. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,524 disclosesa steering wheel lock which prevent the unauthorized use of the vehicle.Unfortunately, the disclosed steering wheel lock does not preventunauthorized use of the vehicle passenger seats when use of the vehicleby a single user is authorized.

[0006] A security device for use with golf carts is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,460,021 which prevent unauthorized access to the golf cartbattery and locks the steering wheel. The device requires engagementwith the steering wheel, and does not prevent unauthorized use of apassenger seat if limited use of the cart is authorized. Therefore, aneed exists for a mechanism which discourages the use of seats on avehicle for which an additional fee has not been paid or use has notbeen authorized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle including a seatlock-out assembly which discourages the unauthorized use of a seat onthe vehicle. The vehicle includes a chassis and at least one seat havinga body support fixed relative to the chassis. The seat lock-out assemblyhas first and second ends fixed to the chassis, and extends over thebody support to discourage unauthorized use of the seat.

[0008] In one aspect of the invention, the seat lock-out assemblyincludes an elongated member and a shield fixed to the elongated member.The elongated member has a first end and a second end which are fixablerelative to the seat. The shield is fixed to the elongated memberbetween the first and seconds ends, wherein when the first and secondends are fixed relative to the seat, the shield is disposed over thebody support to discourage use of the seat.

[0009] A general objective of the present invention is to provide avehicle in which unauthorized use of seats is discouraged. Thisobjective is accomplished by providing a vehicle having a seat lock-outassembly which extends over the seat body support to discourageunauthorized use of the seat.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a seatlock-out assembly which discourages the unauthorized use of a seat. Thisobjective is accomplished by providing a seat lock-out assemblyapparatus including a shield disposed over the seat to discourage theunauthorized use of the seat.

[0011] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the inventionwill appear from the following description. In the description,reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof,and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferredembodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle incorporating the presentinvention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a side view of the seat lock-out assembly of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a top view of the seat lock-out assembly of FIG. 3;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a side view of second embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a side view of the set lock-out assembly of FIG. 5;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a top view of the seat lock-out assembly of FIG. 6

[0019]FIG. 8 is a side view of a third embodiment of the presentinvention; and

[0020]FIG. 9 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle 10, such as a golf cart,automobile, truck, and the like, includes a chassis 16, a passenger seat12 fixed to the chassis. A seat lock-out assembly 14 is fixed to thechassis and disposed over the passenger seat 12. The seat lock-outassembly 14 discourages unauthorized use of the locked out seat 12.

[0022] The vehicle chassis 16 includes vehicle members, such as canopysupports 18, a dashboard 20, a seat support 22, a back rest 24, a basket26, and the like, all of which are adjacent to the seat 12. The canopysupports 18 include upright supports 28 which support a canopy 30, and atransverse support 32 which extends between the upright supports 28 toincrease the rigidity of the canopy assembly. The basket 26 is fixed tothe back rest 24, and a portion of the basket 26 extends above the backrest 24.

[0023] The vehicle includes a bench 34 having a driver seat 36 and thepassenger seat 12. The driver seat 36 is disposed rearwardly of asteering wheel 38 for operating the vehicle 10. The passenger seat 12 isnext to the driver seat 36. Both the driver and passenger seats 12, 36include a body support 40 upon which a user sits. The body support 40can be an integral part of the chassis 16, and supports the user's bodywhen using the respective seat 12, 36. Although only two seats areshown, the vehicle can include additional passenger seats withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. Although the followingdescription is directed at locking out the passenger seat 12, it isunderstood that any seat 12, 36 in the vehicle can be locked out asdescribed below.

[0024] The seat lock-out assembly 14 is fixed to the vehicle chassis 16,and extends over at least one of the seat body supports 40 to discouragethe unauthorized use of the seat 12. In the embodiment shown in FIGS.1-4, the seat lock-out assembly 14 is detachable from the chassis 16when use of the seat 12 is authorized. Advantageously, the detachableseat lock-out assembly 14 can be used with a second vehicle when use ofall of the seats 12, 36 on the first vehicle 10 are authorized.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the seat lock-out assembly 14 includes anelongated bar 42 having first and second ends 44, 46. The first end 44includes axially extending hooks 48 which hook around the canopytransverse support 32. The elongated bar 42 is not parallel to the bodysupport top surface 56 to discourage an unauthorized user fromattempting to sit on the seat lock-out assembly 14. Apertures 50 formedin the second end 46 receive a cable 54 which secures the second end 46to the vehicle 10.

[0026] The cable 54 includes a lock 52 which prevents disengagement ofthe elongated bar second end 46 from the vehicle 10. Preferably, thecable is intertwined with the basket 26 to fix the second end 46 to thevehicle 10. Although engaging the basket 26 and transverse canopysupport 32 with the elongated bar ends 44, 46 is shown, the ends 44, 46of the elongated bar 42 can be fixed to any part of the chassis 16, suchas beneath the body support 40 and above the back rest 24, to positionthe seat lock-out assembly 14 over the seat body support 40 withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

[0027] A shield 58 is fixed to the elongated bar 42, such as by welding,bolting, gluing, and the like, and covers at least a portion of the seatbody support 40. The shield 58 covers at least a portion of the upwardlyfacing surface area of the body support 40, and renders sitting on thebody support 40 difficult for an unauthorized user.

[0028] In use, the cable 54 is fixed to the basket 26 behind the seat 12being locked out, and the hooks 48 on the first end 44 of the seatlock-out assembly elongated bar 42 are engaged with the transversecanopy support 32 forward of the seat 12. The cable lock 52 is thenlocked to prevent removal of the seat lock-out assembly 14.

[0029] When not in use, the lock 52 is unlocked, and the cable 54 isslipped out of the apertures 50, and the hooks 48 are disengaged fromthe transverse canopy support 32. The cable 54 can remain intertwinedwith the basket 26 without interfering with the use of the previouslylocked out seat 12, or can be removed for use on a different vehicle.

[0030] In a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS.5-7, a seat lock-out assembly 60 includes two elongated bars 62. Eachbar 62 has an inner tube 64 in a slidable telescoping relation with anouter tube 66. Although tubes are disclosed, any shaped member, such asa channel can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0031] Each seat lock-out assembly elongated bar 62 extends across theseat body support 40, as in the first embodiment, to discourageunauthorized use of the seat 12. The elongated bars 62 are fixedrelative to each other by a shield 68 fixed to the outer surface 70 ofthe outer tube 66. Although fixing the elongated bars 62 relative toeach other with the shield 68 is disclosed, a separate cross member canbe used without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0032] The inner tube 64 has an outer end 72 extending out of one end 74of the outer tube 66. A hook 76 formed on the inner tube outer end 72engages the vehicle chassis 16. Another hook 78 formed on the other end80 of the outer tube 66 also engages the vehicle chassis 16.

[0033] Radial through holes 82, 84 are formed in the inner and outertubes 64, 66. Through holes 82, 84 are holes which extend through thetubes 64, 66. When the hooks 76, 78 at the tube ends 72, 78 are engagedwith the vehicle chassis 16, a through hole 82 in the inner tube 64 isaligned with a through hole 84 in the outer tube 66. A pin or lock hasp86 is inserted through the aligned holes 82, 84 to prevent slidablerelative movement of the tubes 64, 66, and thus disengagement of thehooks 76, 78 from the vehicle chassis 16.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the shield 68 includes a horizontalsurface 60 for use as a shelf, cup holder, and the like, by theauthorized user of the vehicle. By providing a horizontal surface 60 ina portion of the shield 68, a substantial portion of the shield 68 canremain at an angle to the body support top surface 56 to discourageunauthorized use of the seat 12.

[0035] In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the seat lock-out assembly86 is a shield 88 pivotally fixed to the chassis 16, such as by hingedlymounting one end 90 of the shield 88 to the chassis 16. The opposing end92 of the shield 88 includes a latch 94 which engages a lockable catch96 fixed to the chassis 16. The latch 94 and catch 96 can becommercially available hardware, such as for use with a building door.The shield 88 is pivoted over the body support 40, and locked in place.The shield 88 can be pivotally fixed to the back rest 24 above the bodysupport 40, such as shown in FIG. 8, and can be formed as a part of thebackrest 24 which pivots forwardly over the body support 40 withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

[0036] In a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a shield 98 is formed aspart of a windshield 100 disposed forward of the seat 12. The shield 98is pivotally mounted to the chassis 16, as in the third embodiment, andpivots rearwardly to cover the body support 40.

[0037] While there has been shown and described what are at presentconsidered the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications canbe made therein without departing from the scope of the inventiondefined by the appended claims. For example, only a single elongated,telescoping bar, such as disclosed in the second embodiment can be usedwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

We claim:
 1. A seat lock-out assembly for discouraging the use of a seathaving a body support, said apparatus comprising: an elongated memberhaving a first end and a second end, said first end and second endsbeing fixable relative to the seat; and a shield fixed to said elongatedmember between said first and seconds ends, wherein when said first andsecond ends are fixed relative to the seat, said shield is disposed overthe seat support to discourage use of the seat.
 2. The seat lock-outassembly of claim 1, in which a locking mechanism engaged with saidelongated member prevents removal of said elongated member from the seatwhen said shield is disposed over the seat..
 3. The seat lock-outassembly of claim 1, in which said shield includes a shelf which ishorizontal when said elongated member is fixed relative to the seat. 4.The seat lock-out assembly of claim 1, in which said elongated memberincludes an inner telescoping member extending from an outer telescopingmember, and said first end of said elongated member is an end of one ofsaid inner and outer telescoping members, and said elongated membersecond end is an end of the other of said inner and outer telescopingmembers.
 5. The seat lock-out assembly of claim 4, in which at least onethrough hole is formed in each of said inner and outer telescopingmembers, and said at least one through hole formed in each of said innerand outer telescoping members are alignable when said elongated memberends are fixed relative to the seat.
 6. The seat lock-out assembly ofclaim 5, in which a locking member passes through said aligned holes toprevent slidable movement of said telescoping members relative to eachother.
 7. The seat lock-out assembly of claim 1, in which said shield isfixed to a second elongated member fixable relative to the seat.
 8. Avehicle comprising: a chassis; at least one seat fixed relative to saidchassis, and having a body support; a seat lock-out assembly having afirst end and a second end, said first and second ends being fixedrelative said chassis, wherein said seat lock-out assembly extends oversaid body support to discourage unauthorized use if said seat.
 9. Thevehicle of claim 8, in which said seat lock-out assembly has a shieldwhich extends over said body support.
 10. The vehicle of claim 9, inwhich said shield includes a portion which is substantially parallel tosaid body support.
 11. The vehicle of claim 9, in which said shield isfixed to said elongated member.
 12. The vehicle of claim 9, in whichsaid shield is pivotally fixed relative to said body support.
 13. Thevehicle of claim 9, in which said shield is at least a portion of awindshield forward of said seat.
 14. The vehicle of claim 8, in whichsaid seat lock-out assembly first end is fixed relative to said bodysupport and above a top surface of said body support, and said seatlock-out assembly second end is fixed relative to said body support andbelow said body support top surface.
 15. The vehicle of claim 8, inwhich said seat lock-out assembly has a locking mechanism which preventsmoving at least one of said seat lock-out assembly ends relative to saidchassis.
 16. The vehicle of claim 8, in which an elongated memberextends between said first and second ends.
 17. The vehicle of claim 16,in which said elongated member includes an inner telescoping memberextending from an outer telescoping member, and said first end of saidseat lock-out assembly is an end of one of said inner and outertelescoping members, and said seat lock-out assembly second end is anend of the other of said inner and outer telescoping members.
 18. Thevehicle of claim 17, in which at least one through hole is formed ineach of said inner and outer telescoping members, and said at least onethrough hole formed in each of said inner and outer telescoping membersare alignable when said elongated member ends are fixed relative to theseat.
 19. The vehicle of claim 18, in which a locking member passesthrough said aligned holes to prevent slidable movement of saidtelescoping members relative to each other.